We are having a wild day here at Camp Rosie. Because of the chilly weather and sprinkles, rocks were rolling down the hillside onto the road and we had an interesting drive down the mountain to see Dr. Lupo. Rosie normally sleeps in the car but even she knew something was up and sat up staring at me the whole trip!

Once we got to Dr. Lupo’s office – everything was much better 🙂 She had a good visit with her friends at Malibu Vet Clinic. Everyone was impressed with the amount of hair growth since her last visit and how bright and alert she is!

One of the things we discussed is spaying Rosie. With all of her other medical concerns, that issue was not at the top of the list but as we are ticking off one thing at a time, we’ve finally gotten to that item. Dr. Lupo thinks we should wait until we need to do something else that requires anesthesia rather than put her under specifically for the spaying. She will need a thorough cleaning of her four remaining teeth down the road so that will be a good time to cover both issues at once.

You’ve all noticed that Rosie’s chest bone is not fully developed – it is flat and oddly shaped. When she had her dental surgery, Dr. Walker discovered that when pressure is put on her chest, it interferes enough with her heart to cause a bit of a murmur. She had the heart specialist check it as well. He listened to her chest, couldn’t hear it, moved her around a bit and then found it.

Physical therapy for Rosie would/could involve the use of a harness around her chest to support her weight while she develops her hind leg strength. Eventually a cart would also support her chest as she uses it. The concern is that the pressure might compromise her heart.

Dr. Lupo listened to her heart, moved her around, and he too found that there is a position in which her heart activity does change. However, Dr. Lupo feels she can safely begin hydrotherapy. The water will prevent undue pressure on her chest and perhaps once she develops enough muscle on her chest, it won’t be an issue.

We will set up a time for her to start physical therapy and take it from there. I am really thrilled for her and think she is going to enjoy it – once she gets used to the idea of being wet!!!

Thanks for caring about Rosie 🙂
Cinnamon